Mood Swings, spells of
depression, periods of gloom. What is eating you? Are 12 hours workdays, umpteen cups of coffee and
snack binges taking their toll on your mental make-up?Do not blame it on the boss alone. Doctors, nutritionists and psychiatrists all say that eating patterns can impact your mood in more ways than you can realize. With long work hours taking a toll on sleep and diet, the first repercussion is the raise in stress levels. “Improper eating habits often leads to nutritional imbalances as the diet fails to meet minimum nutritional requirements. Not only does it threaten general health and physical fitness, it also leads to psychological problems.” The fall in protein and sodium levels can lead to mood swings and
depression “ Several studies have confirmed that an imbalance in the ratio of essential fatty acids leads to depressive
symptoms.” With the profile of the work force getting younger and the advent of the BPO/outsourcing culture, irregular eating habits have become more widespread. A businessman in his early 30s recalls how long work hours made his meal patterns irregular, forcing him to often skip meals simply because he did not have the time. In no time at all, he was forced to seek counseling.” I was surprised when I was diagnosed with clinical depression because there was really nothing wrong with my life. There was no reason for it,” he says Along with medication, h was prescribed to eat and sleep at regular hours. “it worked” he said. But t was not just stress and long working hours that have triggered irregular eating habits. With the young following the to designer body through starvation and poor eating habits, depression is on the rise. “Bad food habits are one of the biggest contributors to depression in the youth.” This is not to say everyone with poor eating habits gets clinically depressed but yes, bad diets do impact the mood. The “coffee culture” among the young complicates things further. Getting hooked to caffeine while skipping meals depresses them further. “ Excessive intake of caffeine and artificial sweeteners create behavioral problems, doubling anxiety levels.” Proper diet is a must to treat clinical depression. Many cases of depression go undiagnosed because the symptoms vary. People should also watch for physical symptoms such as aches, pains and chronic fatigue (mention below) to ensure they make necessary changes in their diet.Emotional Symptoms:Feeling Sad, Loss of interest, Irritability or anxiety, Trouble making decisions, Guilty or worthless etc…Physical Symptoms:Headaches, Back pain, Muscle aches, Chest pain, Digestive problems, Exhaustion and fatigue, Sleeping problems, Change in appetite or weight, Dizziness etc…= =======